Fabric slitting machine



June 16, 1931.` F1 B PFEIFFER 1,810,677

FABRIC SLITTING MACHINE Filed April 2. 1929 Patented' June 16, 1931 U'ETE BARBERTON, OHIO, A CORPORATIONJOF DELAWARE FABRIC SLITTING lvIACIEIINIE Application filed. April 2,

This invention relates to means for slitting fabric and other sheet material and particularly coated textile material which is readily distorted, such as rubberized bias woven fabric. A

The principal object of my invention'is to preserve an even width of the material while being slit at a relatively rapid rate, and to this end I prefer to employ a cutter of the rotary saw or disk-knife type and rotate this knife or cutter at high speed in the general l, thereof on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1.

In the drawings, indicates a strip of rubberized, bias, woven fabric of the necessary width to form the desired number, four in this instance, of narrower strips 11 adapted for uses such as in pneumatic tire manufacture to form the flippers and chafers in the beads of a tire casing.V A number ofV lengths of this rubberized, bias fabric lare pieced together at their ends toV form the strip 10, and the latter is led through a suitable feeder such asa festooning rack 12 'whose last roll 12a is power-driven, and

thence into and through the cuttingmachine. The cutting apparatus includes a suitable frame 13y havingat one *end an idler guiding roller 1lifor the entering strip, and just be- 7ond this a fabric sus ortinfr and Ouidino' D deviceY including ra iiXedly-mounted, lower, horizontal plate l5 and an upper plate 16 pivoted at 17 at its rear end between edge guides 18 at the side edges of the lower plate, the fabric strip passing between these plates and being lightly -helddown on the lower one by the weight of the upper plate so that it/ will be 1929; t Serial No'. k351,912.

FRED B.`PFEIFFEB 0F AKRON, OHIO, ASSEGNO TO SEIBERLINGFRUBER COMPANY, 0F

,smoothly and accurately presentedto the aci tion lof the cutter disks. c

Mounted above-thepath of the fabric is a cutter shaft v19, supported insuitable end bearings, and adapted to be rapidly rotated in the direction of the arrow 33, by means of a pulley 2()Y connected by belt`2l with a pulley 22 on the! shaft of an electric motor'23 mounted'orr the lower part of the frame. A

Vseries of toothedcrotary slitting Vknives or cutter disks 24, three in number for making four strips 11, are fixed to the shaft 19 at the desired intervals, these disks having sharp ened edges which mightyif desired, be continuousinstead of interrupted by; notches as shown,` their action on the fabric partaking of the nature of a sawing operation as distinguishedv from the shearing action or pinching action of other types of cutters which move at the samesurfacespeed as the work and require the cooperation of a mating cutter .or an anvil roller. For these circular sawing cutters other forms of rapid saws might -be' substituted, although withl less convenience. Ther action ifthe rapidly-rotat ing toothed cutters is essentially that of small buzz-saws. v

The forward margin of the lower guideplate is divided into a number of individual fab-ric guides 25 separated by slots for the recveptionlcf the cutter disksQli, whereby the material is supported'on opposite sides lof the cutterswhile being slit, and the cuts strips 11 are properly rguided from the cutters.`

Beyond the slitting point islocated asuit- Vable strip-spreading instrumentality which may take the formi ofa flexible, wire-coil" roller 28 mounted to turn loosely on a fixed rod 29'supported on the` frame at `its ends andbowed in the direction of advanceof the fabric, .the arcuate form ofthe wire roller tending towseparate kthe Aedges of the individual 'strips 11. Beyond this spreading-de'- Y vice `the cutfstrips pass over a power-driven roller 30 and under an idle rollerv 31 and may then be suitably received and subjected to desiredlfurther,treatment, as by` having rubber calenderin the manner described in my copendingapplication Serial No. 351,914,

'gum strips applied to their margins bya filed concurrently herewith. The spreading Y has an incidental useful effect in reducing the Contact of the cut strips with the rapidly-rotating knives and thus helping to avoid un- 5 due friction and heating of the knives, and

smearing thereof with the softened gum coating of the fabric. Y

Mounted between suitable frame standards above the spreading roller 28 is an idle roller 32 whereby strips of fabric may at times be carried through the apparatus without slit ting for further treatment beyond.

In the operation of this apparatus, the surface speeds of the` power-driven rollers l2L and 30 are properly synchronized to propel the fabric without substantial stretching tension past the cutting point, and the cutter disks 24 are rotated in the direction of the arrow 33 in Fig. 2, so that their lower periph. eries will be traveling in the same general direction as the feed of the fabric and at a much higher rate than it travels, and their slight propulsive force will be exerted on the fabric in a direction coinciding with its feed 2,5 rather than counter thereto. This cutting of 'the fabric by a buzz-saw action in the general direction of its feed and without substantial longitudinal tension practically eliminates any stretching and narrowing of the bias fabric and enables me to slit such fabric at al relatively rapid rate and deliver it in proper condition for further treatment and for ultimate incorporation in manufactured articles such as pneumatic tires. This result is of high '35 value to the tire manufacturer in reducing production cost and preserving the desired width of material such bead flippers and cha-fing strips. It is found that rubberized fabric is peculiarly susceptible to being sev- 40 ered in this manner, apparently because the coating binds adjacent threads together, and makes them easier vto cut through and less liable to pull out than with plain fabric, although the fabric is unconfined from above 15 and not tightly held at the cutting point.

It will be understood that various changes may `be made in the described embodiment and carrying out of my invention without departing from its lscope as defined in the claim.

I claim In a fabric-slitting machine, the combination of fabric-guiding means having a cutting slot, means for drawing the fabric with- JD' out substantial tension over said slot, a rotary cutter having an interrupted cutting periphery disposed above said fabric guiding means and projecting into said slot, and means for rapidly rotating said cutter in a 5U direction that the active portion moves in thc direction of the fabric feed.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day of March, 1929.

FRED B. PFEIFFER. 

